Graham Potter: Chelsea manager Graham Potter admitted that the red card Joao Felix received on his debut for the Blues was another blow for the team as the Stamford Bridge outfit slumped to a 2-1 defeat to London rivals Fulham.
Chelsea have bolstered their attacking department with the addition of Portugal national football team attacker Joao Felix, who they signed on a loan deal from Atletico Madrid in January for the remainder of the season.
However, Joao Felix’s debut match for Chelsea did not go to plan as the Portuguese international received a red card in the 58th minute of the game for a dangerous tackle on Kenny Tete.
In this Fulham vs Chelsea clash, Willian sent the Cottagers ahead in the 25th minute of the game. Chelsea, however, restored parity at the start of the second half as Kalidou Koulibaly bundled the ball in from close range in the 47th minute. However, after Chelsea were reduced to 10 men following Joao Felix’s sent-off, Fulham scored the winner in the 73rd minute through Carlos Vinicius to earn all three points from the fixture.
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“It is another blow” – Graham Potter reacts to Joao Felix’s red card
Graham Potter: Speaking after the match, Graham Potter admitted that the red card Joao Felix received was another blow for them. He also admitted he understood why Joao Felix got the red card for his challenge on Kenny Tete.
“It was a reaction from the side and it was a forward’s tackle. There was no malice. I understand the sending off,” Graham Potter said.
“It is another blow. I thought he was good, you could see his quality in the game so it’s a double disappointment for us.”
Meanwhile, the defeat leaves Chelsea 10th in the Premier League points table with 25 points from 18 matches. The west London outfit are already 19 points behind table-toppers Arsenal, who have only played 17 matches in the English top flight so far this season.
Chelsea are also 10 points behind Manchester United, who sit fourth, but the Red Devils also have only played 17 games in the Premier League so far this season.
The Blues now have seven wins, four draws, and seven defeats in the Premier League 22/23 season. Chelsea will host Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in a Premier League fixture in their next game, at 7:30 pm Indian Standard Time on January 15.
